Assistant General Counsel
DATTCO, Inc. | New Britain, CT
About the Role
This is a hands-on, fast-paced, high-variety role that requires strong execution skills, the ability to handle multiple matters simultaneously, and the professional confidence to exercise sound independent judgment when matters are time-sensitive and the GC is unavailable. It is well suited to an attorney who is comfortable engaging directly with business stakeholders, managing a varied workload, and making well-reasoned decisions as required.
Key Responsibilities
Contracts & Transactions- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including passenger transportation contracts, dealer agreements, vendor agreements, sales agreements, and NDAs.
- Support financing transactions, including real estate and asset-based lending, from commitment letter through closing.
- Assist in the negotiation and documentation of business acquisitions and commercial real estate purchases and leases.
Corporate & Entity Management- Maintain and manage legal structure across multiple affiliated entities, including formation, governance records, filings, and organizational documents.
- Support evaluation of business development opportunities, including acquisitions and new ventures.
Regulatory & Compliance- Advise on compliance matters across business lines, including environmental requirements.
- Review and advise sales staff on RFP/bid submissions for passenger transportation services, commercial vehicle sales, and sales of related parts and services.
- Manage a small trademark portfolio, including maintenance filings and monitoring.
Litigation & Outside Counsel- Serve as primary point of contact for outside counsel on transactional and corporate litigation, coordinating with the GC as needed.
- Manage outside counsel assignments within areas of primary responsibility, monitor engagement scope, and review invoices for accuracy and alignment with matter strategy.
- Assist in the management of material business litigation matters that intersect with corporate or transactional work, in coordination with outside counsel and the GC.
Stakeholder Engagement- Develop and maintain working relationships with lenders, customers, suppliers, and landlords as needed to support transactions and ongoing business matters.
Qualifications
- J.D. from an accredited law school; admission to the Connecticut bar (or eligibility for admission).
- Minimum 4 years of experience in a transactional practice at a law firm or in-house environment. Attorneys with more experience who are drawn to a broad, autonomous in-house role are encouraged to apply.
- Comfort with contract drafting and negotiation across multiple subject areas.
- Exposure to corporate/entity formation, governance, commercial real estate, or financing transactions is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment and exercise independent legal judgment and escalate appropriately.
- Ability to balance legal risk with operational realities and business objectives.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate legal issues into plain-language guidance for non-lawyers.
Preferred Background
Experience in any of the following is particularly relevant: transportation, dealership, fleet, or multi-location operations; franchise or dealer agreements; commercial lending; or environmental compliance.
Reporting
This position reports directly to the Vice President and General Counsel.
